Senate Democrats have repeatedly raised concerns about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, though they have been reluctant to take meaningful steps to address the controversies surrounding the far-right jurist. That said, in the wake of Alito’s latest controversies, the two top Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have requested a meeting of Chief Justice John Roberts to discuss “the Supreme Court’s ethics crisis.” NBC News reported:
The Democratic senators’ full four-page letter was posted online.
There is no great mystery about what prompted the outreach. Alito was already one of the country’s most controversial lawyers, but his reputation deteriorated further when The New York Times published this report, which noted that in early 2021, between the January 6 attack and Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration, a reverse American flag was flying. in front of Alito’s house. At the time, it was a prominent symbol embraced by far-right “Stop the Steal” activists who believed nonsensical conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.
After the report shocked the political world, Alito turned to – who else? – Fox News, explaining that his wife raised the upside-down flag after some unpleasant interactions with allegedly rude neighbors. His comments largely made the burgeoning controversy worse.
Shortly thereafter, as Chris Geidner first reported, Alito also apparently sold Bud Light stock amid far-right hysteria over the company’s partnership with a trans influencer.
Justice didn’t need that another damaging revelation, but the Times reported on a second flag controversy last week: Alito’s New Jersey vacation home displayed an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which was also carried by Jan. 6 rioters. The article added: “Also known as the Pine Tree flag, it dates back to the Revolutionary War, but was largely forgotten until recent years and is now a symbol of support for former President Donald J. Trump, for a religious part of the war. ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign and for an effort to reform the American government in Christian terms.”
This apparently led Durbin and Whitehouse to conclude that it was time for a meeting with the Supreme Court’s chief justice, in the hope that Roberts will prevent Alito from participating in matters related to the 2020 presidential election and the attack of January 6.
To date, the Chief Justice appears not to have responded. Furthermore, it’s not entirely clear what Roberts would (or could) do in response to a situation like this, even if he agreed with the senators.
Still, Friday’s correspondence suggests that key Democratic senators, who seemed fairly passive about Alito’s antics, are now eyeing possible next steps. Watch this space.
This message updates our related previous reporting.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
